The same as with children catching head lice at school, it goes without saying that if you have a dog it will likely come into contact with fleas and ticks, regardless of what preventative measures you take. Often pet owners may think that as long as they take all of the preventative measures possible, their pooch won’t get ticks or fleas, but there are many different ways that animals can attract them. At Durack Pet Motel we take care to check all dogs that are in our care to ensure that they are not spreading ticks or fleas to other dogs at the motel.

Other Animal Visitors

The thing about animals is that they are not restricted by the fences and walls that we humans put up to keep each other out. Other animals can find ways of entering your garden and they bring with them ticks and fleas, which they leave on branches, grass and fabrics that they come into contact with. Bandicoots and other small rodents are responsible for the little holes that you often see dug out of your yard, and they carry fleas and ticks upon their bodies, which they drop wherever they go. Feral and even neighbourhood cats are adept climbers and spend their nights exploring the world around them, which includes your garden, dropping ticks and fleas wherever they go.

Human Carriers

If someone has unknowingly been in contact with an animal that has fleas or ticks, they may be carrying them on their clothes and could bring them to your yard or infect your dog when they pat it. If you have been visiting a place where there is a high risk of ticks, such as bushwalking, you may have inadvertently picked one up and brought it in on your clothing or shoes. Ticks can last for a long time away from a warm body and they are skilled at tracking down and finding a warm host to attach to and feed off.

Anywhere, Anytime, Outside

The reality is that wherever you go outside of the home, there is a risk of your dog attracting ticks or fleas from other animals, or the surroundings that you visit. Even if you take care to check your dogs for ticks after your return from outside excursions, they could be buried deeply in the fur of your animal, waiting to move around the body and eventually find a warm spot where they can attach themselves. It is important to check your dog every day to ensure that you have not missed a hidden tick, as ticks can bring even the largest dogs down and cause them to become very ill.